Animals

It’s a wonder I can get anything done these days and what seems like a step forward in one direction of my life, is a step back in a different part.

I’m very much an animal lover and it’s not any surprise that I have…a few. My girls are getting up there in age and have lost one already two years ago. I had three; two beautiful cats and a dog.

When I lost my cat Paige, it was devastating to say the least. My mom bought her when I was 18 as an emotional support animal, I was going through massive depression at the time. She was the bright light in a dark spot. She was so tiny that she fit in the palm of my hand; she had beautiful piercing blue eyes and all white with a little pink nose. She was perfect. I had no clue what to name her so I figured it would come to me in time and she made it known what she wanted to be called. That night as we laid in bed together, I was reading and she, being the mischievous kitten that she was, began to scratch and bite at the pages of my book. Not wanting to stop and that’s how she received the name Paige.

Sadly, I found out very early on that she had kidney crystals, which I monitored but never seemed to bother her as the years went on. Unfortunately, her kidney problems were what caused her to go so suddenly. It was a weekend my boyfriend (now husband) had come up to see me and we noticed she wasn’t wanting to eat or drink, barely moving. I couldn’t quite understand it because days before she was her normal self. I called the vet, and at this point my boyfriend had gone home and I had to make the very hard decision to put her down. Driving to and from the vet’s office that day alone was a terrible idea and truthfully I am not sure how I made it home intact. I cried the whole way home….driving….I really am surprised I’m alive. But it wasn’t a life for her to sit in pain and suffering, so it needed to be done, even if it hurt.

Sadly, I may need to make that decision again with my cat Salem. She is not doing well at all and she is extremely constipated again. She drinks very little and eats hardly anything. I will have to probably make that hard decision, but I will see what the vet has to say. But honestly, it’s not looking great. It hurts just thinking about the potential of not coming home with her from that appointment because I was hoping Valeria would have at least a few years with her. Salem is about 16 years old, though she could be older.

When I adopted her, the vet could only give me an estimate on her age. She was left on the streets by her previous owner (something that happens quite often where I lived in Alberta it seemed) and when the vet’s office decided to help Bylaw by housing some of the animals they brought in, that’s how Salem came to be in my life. I was a vet kennel assistant, so my job was to clean and take care of the animals for the most part. I loved it and I got to spend all day with animals. But she would only come out of her cage for me and initially we had jokingly named her Oreo, she is black and white after all, but those piercing yellow eyes are what got her current name. When I sent mom a photo of her pawing at my face and asking if I could adopt her, well that was it. She became Salem after that and has been mine ever since.

My Dog Willow would be the youngest of the three and even she is getting up there. My big fluff ball is 14 years old already. My mom had found a “breeder” that was selling American Eskimo dogs, however when we got there it was awful. It was a farm, the woman brought us to this tiny shed with no windows, she opened the door and inside it was extremely dark. She flashed a light inside and there were 4 different breeds of dogs and all their puppies crammed into this little shed. At the time we didn’t think to report her, but we really should have. My heart broke for these animals and they were being completely mistreated. Willow was only four weeks old and the lady wanted the puppies gone so bad she basically shoved her into my hands and I couldn’t leave her in that place any longer, so we took her. It’s not ideal to take a puppy away from it’s mother so young, it’s really terrible to be honest because they learn valuable lessons from their mother and siblings. However I have no regrets; she has been such a silly, smart girl, with a bit of an aggressive side. With taking her so young, she has some behavioral problems. And NO I did not make her aggressive if that’s what you think.

Unfortunately for Willow, she is old and having trouble getting up and less active so she has put on quite a bit of weight. I need to shave her down for the summer so she can at least be a little cooler while she lounges outside with mama and baby. The reality is, I don’t think she has much time left either and eventually I will have to make a decision for her as well.

I’ve loved having pets since I can remember and I still talk about some of our beloved pets who have since passed; Brandy (our first childhood dog – smartest hunting dog), Sasha (my mom’s sweet little Shih Tzu), One eye Winston (Shih Tzu we adopted, obviously had one eye), and now Paige. The wonderful memories we have of all of them trumps the loss.

Having animals is difficult and as much as people hate hearing this, they do become a part of your life and family. The love and affection they bring to your life and that you show them is just like having another family member. The only difference is, who will watch them while your on vacation?! The worst is the heartache that comes with losing them, too quickly might I add. I’m not sure I want Valeria or my future kids to go through that when they are young. Once my girls are gone, I will have to take a break owning any pets.

Maybe my husband and I will consider it when the kids are older, if they want something, but while they are young I will have to say no. Than again, we will see what the future holds!

Wish me the best for Salem, I will need all the positive energy I can get and I apologize for the slightly sad post. But this is the reality I’m facing at the moment and I needed to get it out of my head.

Have a wonderful day or night wherever you are in the world.

Ciao!!